Recovered Memories
by SwingOnAStar
Summary: They thought she was crazy. “There’s no such thing as magic…” her mother would tell her. But she kept to her heart. There was a such thing as magic and she knew it. UPDATED: Chapter 3 up
1. There's No Such Thing As Magic

**-Recovered Memories-**

**Summary: **They thought she was crazy. "There's no such thing as magic..." her mother would tell her. But she kept to her heart. There was a such thing as magic and she knew it.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything by J.K. Rowling but I did think up anything you don't recognize so please don't steal my ideas.

**A/N: **Just a little plot I thought up and am deciding to have a bit of fun with. I mean, why not?

**Chapter One: **There's No Such Thing As Magic

They thought she was crazy. But that was only because she was a genius. She used to run around the house with a stick yelling out nonsense and pretending to do what she called "magic". Of course, nobody believed her. But naturally, she believed in her heart and strongly believed that magic existed in the world around her. . . somewhere.

"There's no such thing as magic," Lauren's mother, Alyssa, would tell her repeatedly.

"But Mum, there is! I know there is!" was what Lauren always used to say. That was years ago when she was just a small child, aged five. But now, at age eleven, she had forgotten her dream. Her mother had successfully convinced her that magic did not exist and had driven it out of her head completely. She had absolutely no memory of ever wanting magical powers – but that was about to change.

- - - - -

"Mum, what's this?" asked Lauren as she pulled a dusty hard-backed book off the bookshelf.

Alyssa simply glanced at the book and shrugged. "It's probably an old photo album or something, sweetheart."

Lauren sat down on the living room couch that she had loved to relax on ever since she had been five and opened the book and lay it down on her lap.

It was, apparently, a photo album and on the first page was a picture of Lauren, age five, in her mother's arms reaching out towards her father, Martin. She had her father's eyes, deep blue that sometimes looked a bit green, and her mother's wavy dirty-blond hair. Lauren smiled at the picture and turned the page.

The next page held three pictures. One of Lauren sitting on the couch holding a stick and the other of what looked like her yelling something while holding a stick and the last of her crying and her mother holding the stick out of her reach.

_"No, no, no. . ." said Alyssa, "You mustn't play with sticks, it's dangerous."_

_"But mummy, that's my magic wand! I need it mummy!" yelled Lauren jumping up to get the stick._

_"Tut, tut. Lauren, there's no such thing as magic."_

Lauren somehow remembered that certain occasion but thought it was awfully funny how she had been obsessed with magic. _Magic doesn't exist, _thought Lauren.

The next page held more pictures. In every picture Lauren seemed to be carrying a stick or not carrying a stick and crying. Suddenly, Lauren recalled another memory. A memory of an argument she had heard her parents having.

_"Martin, we have to do something about her, she won't stop rambling on about magic!"_

_ "Alyssa, dear, I don't know why it matters so much to you, it's just a childhood interest and she'll forget about it soon enough."_

_"But what if she never forgets? What if she's crazy all her life?"_

_"She won't be Alyssa, she won't be. . ."_

Lauren shook her head and looked up from the photo album. She agreed with her father. Why had it been so important to her mother that she forgot about magic? She had forgotten about it anyway. . . it wasn't like she was crazy or anything.

But there was something very odd about these memories. Lauren wondered _why_ she had been so obsessed with magic in the first place.

Alyssa walked over to Lauren and sat down next to her.

"So, what'd you find in the album?" she questioned. Lauren handed Alyssa the album and a look of fear crossed Alyssa's face as she looked at the pictures.

"Why am I always holding a stick?" asked Lauren as if she hadn't remembered what she had just recalled a moment before.

"Oh, you – er – enjoyed poking people," Alyssa answered quickly. Lauren looked back at the pictures. No, she hadn't enjoyed poking people; she had been interested in magic. Her mother was lying to her.

"No, that's not it," said Lauren. Alyssa closed the album and placed it on the table in front of them.

"Sure that's it, you had a bad problem of enjoying poking people," said Alyssa looking at her finger nails.

"No, I had an interest in – in magic." Alyssa dropped her hand at the word "magic" and quickly jumped up off the couch.

"You're mistaken Lauren, honey. There's no such thing as magic!"

And with that Alyssa dashed out of the room and up the stairs.

What was wrong with her mother? What was so bad about magic? It was just a childhood fantasy, there was no such thing.

But maybe. . . what if there was a such thing as magic? What if after all those years her mother had been wrong and there was a such thing as magic?

"No, there's no such thing as magic," said Lauren aloud and leaned back into the couch. "There's no such thing as magic. . ."

- - - - -

Lauren awoke the next morning and jumped out of bed, eager to start the day. Summer break was almost over and she didn't want to waste a second of it. She pulled on her clothes and ran downstairs.

The house was quiet. It was early and her parents hadn't gotten up yet. She walked out the front door and sat on a rocking chair on the porch and looked out onto the lawn.

Lauren heard a faint swishing sound. She looked to her left but nothing was there. Confused, Lauren returned to gazing out at the lawn letting the sun warm her face.

There it was again, the swishing sound. It was louder this time and it sounded a bit like a bird. But it would have to be a large bird to make such a loud noise. Lauren ignored the sound thinking it was just something from somewhere and didn't mean anything to her.

But then it came again and louder. She could've sworn she'd saw a large bird fly behind a tree across the street. She stood up and walked across the lawn to the white picket fence and looked at the tree. There was nothing there.

"This is silly. . ." said Lauren but she still stared at the tree wanting something to move from behind it.

But then to her utter amazement an owl flew out from behind the tree in broad daylight, flew across the street and landed on the fence in front of her. It had something tied to its leg, something that looked oddly like an envelope.

Lauren looked at the owl wondering what to do. She had never seen an owl before, not even at night let alone an owl with an envelope in the middle of the day.

"Poor thing, you must not want that thing tied to you," said Lauren as she untied the envelope from the owl's leg. The owl then flew away and disappeared into the sky as quickly as it had come.

Lauren, wondering what to do with the envelope, flipped it over to see who it was addressed to.

Lauren Bellafiore  
Number 17 Clapdern Dr.  
London, England

She dropped her mouth in amazement. It was addressed to her. An owl had brought her a letter especially for her. It hadn't come by the post. . . but by an owl.

Lauren walked back to porch and sat down on her chair and opened the letter excitedly.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

_of _WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

Dear Miss Bellafiore,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Minerva McGonagall  
_Deputy Headmistress_

Lauren read the letter five, six, seven times before completely realizing what she was reading. Witchcraft? Wizardry? WHAT?!

She then pulled out the next sheet of paper, no – parchment from the envelope. It read:

UNIFORM  
First years will require:  
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)  
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear  
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)  
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.  
  
COURSE BOOKS  
All students should have a copy of each of the following:_  
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) _by Minerva Goshawk_  
A History of Magic _by Bathilda Bagshot_  
Magical Theory _by Adalbert Waffling_  
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration _by Emeric Switch_  
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi _by Phyllida Spore_  
Magical Drafts and Potions _by Arsenius Jigger_  
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them _by Newt Scamander_  
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection _by Quentin Trimble  
  
OTHER EPUIPMENT  
1 wand  
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)  
1 set glass or crystal phials  
1 telescope  
1 set brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS.

Once Lauren finished reading the supply list she ran into the house slamming the door behind her. She dashed up the stairs and yanked open her parents' bedroom door.

"Mum! Wake up!" said Lauren shaking her mother's shoulder.

"Wha – what?" Alyssa mumbled opening her eyes.

"Look! Read this!" said Lauren and handed Alyssa the letter. At first Alyssa had no reaction but then she sat bolt upright on the bed, her hands shaking.

"Ma – Martin. . ." she said shakily.

"Mmm?" asked Martin still half asleep.

"R – Read this. . ." said Alyssa handing Martin the letter.

"What's th- Oh my. . ." muttered Martin also sitting up.

"She's a-"

"She got her-"

"Magic really does exist!" shouted Lauren happily jumping up and down.


	2. Secret Identity

**-Recovered Memories-**

**Summary: **They thought she was crazy. "There's no such thing as magic..." her mother would tell her. But she kept to her heart. There was a such thing as magic and she knew it.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything by J.K. Rowling but I did think up anything you don't recognize so please don't steal my ideas.

**A/N: **Just a little plot I thought up and am deciding to have a bit of fun with. I mean, why not?

**Chapter Two: **Secret Identity

"It does exist! It really, really does!" Lauren continued to shout.

"Lauren! Stop that right this instant!" yelled Alyssa angrily. "There's – no – such – thing – as – magic!" she said snatching the letter from Martin and ripping it apart.

Lauren and Martin stared at Alyssa.

"Alyssa. . . I think you're overreacting. . ."

"I'm not overreacting!" said Alyssa breathlessly.

"I think Lauren deserves to hear the truth-"

"She doesn't know it now; I don't think there's any reason for her to ever know it!" With that, Alyssa jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs into the kitchen leaving Martin and Lauren alone in the bedroom.

Lauren stood there looking at her feet and Martin looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't.

"Daddy, why is Mum so mad? It was just a letter. . . about – about magic," said Lauren quietly. Martin said nothing. "I think I need to know the truth about whatever it is Mum doesn't want me to know. . ."

Lauren looked at her father and he looked like he was doing some quick thinking. Then, with a smile on his face he patted a spot on the bed next to him, motioning for Lauren to sit down.

Lauren sat, listening intently for what her father was about to say.

"I just hope Alyssa doesn't kill me when she finds out I told you. . ." said Martin then he continued. "When I first met your mother, I fell in love with her so quickly that I didn't think it mattered if I didn't tell her what I, well, was."

"What were- what are you?" asked Lauren. Martin thought for a moment then continued.

"One day she caught me – Oh, Lauren, you should know. . ." said Martin moving closer to his daughter. "I'm a wizard, Lauren."

Lauren didn't know how to react. "You – you mean, you can do m – magic?"

"Yes, in fact, why don't I show you. . ." said Martin reaching into his bedside drawer. He pulled out a stick which looked distinctly like a magic wand. "_Lumos." _The end of the wand lit up, like a flashlight, but not.

Lauren dropped her jaw, she didn't believe it. Her childhood dream had come true! Her father was a wizard which meant that – which meant that she was a witch!

Just then Alyssa came into the room and saw Martin holding his wand. He tried to hide it but it had been too late.

"_Nox,"_ whispered Martin and the light went out, he slipped the wand into his drawer again.

"Martin, how dare you! We agreed that we were going to raise her like a normal person! You told her you would never tell her about magic!" yelled Alyssa.

"You aren't a witch Alyssa, but Lauren is, you don't understand how important this is to her! She's always wanted to be a witch and you know it! She knew she was a witch ever since she was born. It's in her blood," retaliated Martin.

"I'm not sending her to that – that school! I won't, you can't make me!"

"Oh, but I am going to make you. I know what's best for Lauren and she's going to get what's best. Come on Lauren, get dressed, we're going to go purchase your school supplies," said Martin. Ignoring Alyssa's hateful expression, Lauren ran down the hall to get dressed and Martin dressed in his room.

There were so many thoughts rushing through Lauren's mind. There were so many things she wanted to ask her father. But first of all, why had he hidden his identity from her and why did Alyssa hate magic so much?

- - - - -

"Lauren, ready to go?" called Martin from downstairs. Lauren ran down the stairs.

"Yup!"

"OK, go over to the living room near the fireplace and then we'll get going," said Martin. He went into the kitchen and grabbed a bowl of what looked like colored powder.

"Should I wait for you by the car?" asked Lauren.

"The car? No. . . we're going to be traveling by floo powder."

"What's that?"

"Oh, ha, you wouldn't know, would you? It's when you travel through the fire place. You say where you want to go and then it takes you there. Want me to go first?" Lauren nodded. Martin took a handful of the floo power and stepped into the fireplace. He dropped the powder and as green fire exploded around him he yelled, "Leaky Cauldron!" Then he was gone and the fireplace went back to normal.

"My turn then," said Lauren and stepped into the fireplace with a handful of powder. Just then Alyssa came hurtling out of the kitchen.

"What are you doing in the fireplace?" she asked, but before she got an answer she knew _exactly_ what Lauren was doing.

"Leaky Cauldron!" yelled Lauren nervously. She felt trickles of fire around her and then felt herself being pulled sideways. She passed many other fireplaces before finally arriving at her destination.

Once there, she stepped out of the Leaky Cauldron fireplace and saw Martin brushing the soot off his clothes. She looked around. She seemed to be in some sort of old pub and there were many odd looking people inside. _They must be other magical people, _thought Lauren excitedly.

"Come on, let's-"

But Martin was interrupted because a very, very, _very _large man had just walked through the door with a boy next to him who looked to be about Lauren's age. He had raven black hair and the most beautiful green eyes Lauren had ever seen. But then she noticed an interestingly shaped scar on his forehead. It almost looked like a lighting bolt. . .

"The usual Hagrid?" a man behind the bar asked the "giant" in the doorway.

"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said the man called Hagrid. Then Hagrid patted the boy next to him on the shoulder. _Hogwarts, that's where my letter was from, _thought Lauren.

"Good Lord," said the man behind the bar, "is this – can this be - ?"

Suddenly the whole bar went quiet, even Martin looked at the boy in the doorway.

"Bless my sole," said the bartender, "Harry Potter, what an honor."

"Harry Potter. . ." said Martin in awe. Lauren was confused.

"Daddy," said Lauren tugging at Martin's shirt, "Who's Harry Potter?"

"I'll tell you later, let's go meet him," said Martin grabbing Lauren's hand and pulling her into the crowd of people now shaking Harry's hand. Once Martin and Lauren pushed their way up to him, Lauren got a better view of this "famous" boy, yet, she still didn't know why he was so famous.

"Martin Bellafiore," said Martin shaking Harry's hand, "and this here's my daughter, Lauren. I think you two will be seeing each other in school."

Lauren blushed and looked at Harry who smiled. He was really very handsome when he smiled. But then they were pushed away from Harry and were engulfed by the crowd.

Lauren, still blushing and smiling slightly walked away towards the back of the bar and hit a dead end. There was a large brick wall in front of them. Martin took out his wand and counted three up, two across then tapped the brick three times with his wand and the wall slowly, but surely, became an entrance to-

"Diagon Alley," said Martin, "Come on."

Lauren stepped through the entrance and the entrance immediately became a wall once again. She looked around herself and saw all kinds of things. All kinds of people. Everything was so new and wonderful to her.

"Let's go get you a wand," said Martin, "Oh, wait, we must go get you some money first of course! To Gringotts we go!"

They walked down the alley towards a huge building and went inside. There was a long marble hallway with desks on either side. And then at the desk sat – _things._

"Daddy, what are those things?" asked Lauren pointing at one of the things sitting at a desk.

"That's a goblin," said Martin and seeing Lauren's terrified expression, "Oh, don't worry, they won't hurt you. Just don't get on their bad side. . ."

The two of them approached a goblin and Martin started talking to it. Lauren turned to see Harry Potter and Hagrid walking into Gringotts as well. Nobody seemed to notice and the goblins didn't seem to care that he was famous.

Lauren saw Harry look over at her and she gave him a small wave and he smiled at her again, except this time she smiled back.

- - - - -

After the roller coaster ride through Gringotts and getting some money, Martin and Lauren headed back towards they could get Lauren a wand. There were peeling letters above the door that read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. Martin said he'd go pick up Lauren's books while she got her wand so she walked into the shop alone.

It was very quiet, maybe too quiet for Lauren's liking. All around her were shelves upon shelves of boxes that must've contained wands. She walked up to the desk and was about to ring the bell when she saw an old man walk towards her from behind a shelf.

"Good afternoon," said that man. He looked at Lauren and his wide pale eyes shone like moons in the gloom of the shop.

"Hello," said Lauren awkwardly.

"I remember every one of my customers, Lauren, and I remember when your father Martin came in to get his wand. You have his eyes. Yes, yes, I remember his wand. Eleven inches. Bendy. Oak, unicorn hair. A very nice wand it was – yes. . ." said the man peering around the shop.

He ran off and grabbed a few boxes and placed them on his desk.

"Try this. Twelve inches, yew, unicorn hair," said the man handing Lauren a wand. "Give it swish."

Lauren was left handed so she grasped the wand in her left hand and gave it a swish. The man shook his head and snatched the wand from her hand.

"Maple and phoenix feather, nine inches. Rather bendy," he handed her the wand. Lauren gave it a swish but the man shook his head again and grabbed the wand.

"Ah hah, now this one might do that trick. Willow, dragon heart string, ten inches, swishy." Lauren swished the wand and blue and red fireworks came popping out of the end of the wand.

"Wonderful! There you go."

Lauren paid seven gold galleons that her father had given her and then left the shop with a gigantic smile on her face. More and more of dream was coming true right before her eyes.

- - - - -

After purchasing her other supplies and examining the books her father had bought, Lauren and Martin returned home. Lauren had decided to bring her cat, Snickers, along with her to school.

When they returned home by way of floo powder, Alyssa was very startled to see Lauren appear out of nowhere in the fireplace. She had been reading a book and had screamed when Lauren had climbed out of the fireplace, barely recognizable with the soot all over her face.

"Mum, it's just me, Lauren. It's okay," Lauren had said to make her mother stop shaking.

"You shouldn't have listened to your father about all this rubbish! You needn't go to that school if you don't want to, Lauren. You know," said Alyssa quietly, "I, personally, would prefer if you didn't."

Then Martin appeared in the fireplace and Alyssa walked upstairs to her bedroom with a "humph", she was, apparently, angry with her husband.

"Why's Mum so mad? Magic is great thing! Right?" asked Lauren.

"Well, obviously, not to her. . . I don't exactly know why, though," said Martin, "Don't tell her I said this to you, Lauren, but I think she's just jealous."


	3. Departure and Indecision

**-Recovered Memories-**

**Summary: **They thought she was crazy. "There's no such thing as magic..." her mother would tell her. But she kept to her heart. There was a such thing as magic and she knew it.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything by J.K. Rowling but I did think up anything you don't recognize so please don't steal my ideas.

**A/N: **Just a little plot I thought up and am deciding to have a bit of fun with. I mean, why not?

**Chapter Three: **Departure and Indecision

Alyssa wasn't all too happy about Martin's influence on Lauren. She seemed to think that Martin was putting "bad" things into Lauren's head except, as Martin repeatedly told her, they weren't bad.

"But you and I agreed-"

"Alyssa, stop bringing that up! I know we agreed, but you can't just ignore the fact that Lauren was born with witch blood. I didn't really even believe myself when I promised you we'd raise her 'normally'," said Martin.

They were arguing. _Again._ Lauren had been listening from the landing at the top of the stairs with her head in her hands. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for her to go off to school. . . But this had been her dream since before she could remember. She couldn't just throw away her dream when it came and smacked her in the face. . . right?

Lauren walked back into her bedroom and sat on her bed. She took out her wand and twirled it around in her hand. She wanted so badly to do some kind of spell but she didn't know how to. It couldn't hurt to learn a little something before school, could it?

She opened up her already packed trunk and took out _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade One)_ and opened it to a random page near the beginning. It had the directions on how to do the _Lumos_ spell that her dad had showed her earlier.

"Slightly swish your wand in an up and down movement," read Lauren allowed from the book, "and chant the word _Lumos." _Lauren held her wand in her left hand and slightly swished it and said, "_Lumos!"_

Nothing happened. Maybe she wasn't meant to be a witch after all.

Although, Lauren wasn't the kind of girl who gave up on something _that_ fast.

"_Lumos!"_ Lauren chanted again and a small light appeared at the end of her wand. She turned to the next page.

"To extinguish your light, slightly swish your wand in the opposite direction that the light appeared and chant the word _Nox_," Lauren read aloud.

She swished her wand in the opposite direction and said, "_Nox_," and the light went out instantly. "Awesome. . ." said Lauren.

So, she _was_ supposed to be a witch after all. Lauren, smiling, went to bed. Only a week left until Hogwarts.

- - - - -

The last week of school passed as fast as anything. Lauren spent time with her dad learning about the half of her life that she had missed out on. The Bellafiore side of her family, her dad's side, was a pure blood wizarding family that Lauren had never met before. She had gone to visit them and they were all extremely proud to have another witch in the family.

Alyssa's side of the family however, had not heard of Alyssa's "abnormal" daughter, as Alyssa would call her. Martin and Alyssa were always arguing over Lauren and her future. But, Martin always seemed to win in saying that it wasn't _his_ fault that Lauren turned out to be a witch and as he always said "you can't just ignore the fact that's she got magic in her blood".

September first rolled into view and every day Lauren got more nervous. What if all the other students already knew tons of spells when she barely even knew one? How could she possibly survive being so very behind when she hadn't been introduced to magic until only a month ago?

She was kindly reassured by her father, however, who hadn't been allowed to practice magic before attending school. His parents didn't even let him touch a wand until he had to buy one.

So, Lauren relaxed and slept soundly the night before September first knowing that it couldn't be all that bad.

- - - - -

Lauren awoke the next day to a knock on the door from her father telling her it was almost time to leave. The train always left at exactly eleven o'clock sharp Martin had told her. So, they were off to King's Cross in no time.

Martin handed Lauren her ticket on the way to the station. Lauren looked at the ticket and then shook her head, there was something definitely wrong with this ticket.

"Daddy, there's no such platform as platform 9¾," said Lauren questioningly.

"Oh, yes there is and I'll show you just the way to find it."

In a few minutes time, they had arrived at the station, gotten a trolley for Lauren's trunk and Snickers in his cat carrier and were on their way to the platform.

Lauren saw a pack of red-headed children and their mother go hurrying past her and her father.

"Muggles. . . they really should get us our own station. . ." said the lady.

"Daddy, what's a muggle?" asked Lauren.

"It's what we call non-magic people," said Martin as if it were something he heard everyday. "Ah, here we are," said Martin, "Look, here's someone doing it now."

There he was, that boy again, with the handsome smile and raven black hair. She saw him run straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten and then – he was gone. Then, after him, went another boy, with very bright red hair and after him, the woman that must've been his mother.

"See? It isn't very hard, is it?" said Martin, "Just run straight at the barrier and I'll come through right behind you."

Lauren looked at her father then turned back to the barrier. The wall looked very solid indeed. But, nevertheless, what was the worst that could happen? She would all the sudden go crashing into the wall sending her trunk flying in the other direction and smacking herself in the head as well? Well, that couldn't be so bad. . .

She began to walk towards the barrier, but then, feeling nervous, she started to run. There the barrier was, looming and closer and closer. And here it was, the smack but then –

She looked behind her to see a solid barrier and ahead of her a sleek red train with the name "The Hogwarts Express" written on its front. Suddenly, her father appeared behind her and pushed her along towards the train. There was also a sign that said "Platform 9¾" just above her head and that made her smile.

Martin led her to a door onto the train and helped her heave her trunk up onto the train.

"I'll see you for the holidays, Laurie!" said her father given her a hug and kiss.

"I'll miss you, daddy!" said Lauren and giving him a final hug, shut the door behind her and went off to find an empty compartment to sit in.

- - - - -

After dragging her trunk and cat along for a while she finally spotted an empty compartment. She went in and pulled her trunk in behind her and sat down. Snickers was meowing in his cage so she let him out to look out the window.

There was a knock on the door and the compartment door opened.

"I can't find another compartment, could I sit with you?" asked the girl in the doorway kindly.

"Sure," said Lauren. The girl walked in and dragged her trunk in behind her.

"I'm Baylyn," said Baylyn extending her hand and sitting across from Lauren.

"I'm Lauren," said Lauren shaking Baylyn's hand. Baylyn was a pretty name and Baylyn was a very pretty girl indeed. She was tall with long, thick reddish-brown hair. Her eyes were a beautiful grayish-hazel that looked deep and wise. Baylyn was automatically taken to be someone who would never tell your secrets.

"So, have you heard the news? Harry Potter's coming to school this year! I can't believe we're going to be in the same year as him! I mean, you are a first year, right?" asked Baylyn. She had a strong American accent and Lauren had never been to the states so this was very interesting to her.

"Yes, I'm a first year and I've already met him," said Lauren mischievously.

"You have?! Oh my god, what'd he look like? Is he cute? Does he have that scar that everyone's talking about?" questioned Baylyn excitedly. The train began to move, it was exactly eleven o'clock.

"Well. . . I guess he's cute, and he has lovely eyes, they're green," said Lauren thinking back to Harry's wonderful eyes. "Scar? What scar?"

Baylyn hesitated for a moment and she looked very surprised.

"You – you don't know about You-Know-Who?" said Baylyn.

"No. . . who's that?" Lauren was beginning to feel that her dad had left out a great deal of information when he was talking to her about the wizarding world. Actually, come to think of it, he hadn't really ever told her much at all.

"He's the guy who almost killed Harry! But Harry stopped him from using the spell that had killed so many other people. I can't believe you don't know all this stuff! He's famous! Well, anyways, You-Know-Who -"

"Who's You-Know-Who? Because, I don't know who this person is. . ."

"Oh, um, we don't say his name. . . he was one of the darkest wizards who ever lived."

"Could you just say it once? Please? I want to know."

"Fine. . ." Baylyn leaned across to right next to Lauren's ear and whispered, "V – Voldemort."

Baylyn went on to telling Lauren all about how Voldemort had killed Harry Potter's parents and how he had been defeated and was now lurking around somewhere regaining his powers so he could attack again.

They talked almost the whole train ride there until there was another knock on the compartment door and a boy walked in.

"Hey, can I sit here for the remainder of the ride and my friend too? We got kicked out of our compartment. My brother was being a real big bully," he said.

"Sure, come sit," said Baylyn. The two girls moved over so the boys could sit.

"I'm Baylyn and this is Lauren," Baylyn introduced.

"Hello, I'm Charlie and this here's Cameron," said Charlie. Charlie was fairly tall and very well built. He had light brown eyes and dark brown hair.

"Hi everyone," said Cameron. He had a slight Irish accent and Lauren just loved Irish accents. Cameron was a bit on the short side and had curly brown hair and light blue eyes.

The last few hours of the train ride went by even faster yet with all four of them in the compartment. Their conversations went from childhood memories to an interesting truth or dare game introduced by Lauren.

Before they knew it, Lauren, Baylyn, Charlie and Cameron knew more about each other than they did about any of their other friends and even though they didn't know it yet, they had become a group of best friends.

- - - - -

"Oh, excuse me, sorry," said Lauren as she accidentally ran into someone while getting off the train.

"Oh, that's okay, let me help you with that," said the boy. He looked up. It was Harry. Lauren blushed.

"Thanks," she said as Harry helped her turn her trunk right-side-up. After that was finished he walked away with a red-headed boy and a bushy haired girl.

"Was that HIM?" asked Baylyn. "Was it? WAS IT?"

"Yes, it was. Now could you please calm yourself?" said Lauren. Her trunk was taken away magically and Lauren assumed it was being taken to Hogwarts, wherever that was.

"Firs' years this way, firs' years!" called a low booming voice. Lauren and Baylyn turned around and found themselves facing some kind of animal skin. They looked up and saw a very, very large man with a big bushy beard.

"I know him. . . I saw him at the Leaky Cauldron!" said Lauren but Baylyn didn't hear her; she was in too much shock at seeing a man so large.

"All right there, Harry?" asked the large man looking down at Harry Potter who was now standing next to them. Baylyn was now staring at Harry in shock instead of the man.

"C'mon, follow me – any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" bellowed the man more loudly this time.

Lauren and Baylyn closely followed by Charlie and Cameron were walking behind Harry and a red-headed boy. Baylyn was whispering excitedly.

"Do you _know _who that _is_? It's HIM Charlie, it's _Harry Potter_!" said Baylyn looking backwards at Charlie.

They stumbled up the narrow path surrounded by thick trees on either side of them. It was very dark and Baylyn stopped whispering so she could pay attention to where she was going.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," said the man they had discovered to be named Hagrid, "jus' round this bend here."

Everyone gasped and "ooh"ed at the sight in front of them. The path had suddenly opened to reveal a humungous black lake. Across the lake on the top of a mountain was a castle. Lauren could see windows sparkling, reflecting onto the lake and the many towers reaching up towards the starry sky.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called and Lauren, Baylyn, Charlie and Cameron followed the crowd to where the boats where. They all clambered into a boat and sat staring forward at the castle ahead of them.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, he was in a boat all by himself. "Right then – FORWARD!"

The boats pulled them magically forward across the lake nearer to the castle. Everyone bent their heads low as they went under a cliff and into the castle. Hagrid instructed them to exit their boats and follow him. They were met at the door by a tall witch with her hair pulled back tightly in a bun.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you Hagrid, I will take them from here." The professor opened the door and Lauren saw the biggest room she had ever seen in front of her. The ceiling was so high that it hurt to crane her neck to see it. She could hear voices meaning the rest of the school must've already been there, but instead, Professor McGonagall led them away from the voices. They went into a room and squished themselves tightly together to listen to the Professor.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, you House will be something like you family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory and spend your free time in your House common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts. . ."

Professor McGonagall continued to speak but Lauren's attention ranged in other places. She gazed all around her at all the other nervous faces. Harry Potter and the red-headed boy were close by listening intently to the Professors speech. She saw Harry's famous scar on his forehead partly covered with his bangs. She then looked at his bright green eyes that envied her every time she saw them. . .

". . . I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting," finished Professor McGonagall.

Cameron started to press his brown hair down to his head as it was a bit curly and sticking out on the end. Baylyn started to run her fingers through her hair to make it less tangled. Charlie, however, just stood still looking about the room like Lauren.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall, "Please wait quietly.

Lauren had knelt down to tie her shoe when all the sudden she heard several people, including Baylyn, scream. She jumped up.

"What happened? What the - ?"

She gasped and so did many other people around her. Around twenty ghosts had just floated through the back wall. They looked silvery and were slightly transparent. They glided through the air and where calmly talking to one another taking almost no notice of the first years.

"Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance --"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost – I say, what are you all doing here?"

Lauren looked up at the ghost with her mouth hanging open. She had never seen a ghost before, let alone believed that they existed.

Nobody answered.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them, "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

Lauren nodded timidly along with a few other students.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar, "My old House, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp, strict voice, "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." The Professor had returned and slowly led all the students out through a door and they all filed out in a line.

As Lauren entered the Great Hall, she gazed around and saw things she had never seen before. There were thousands of torches that lit the room and candles were floating around towards the ceiling in midair. Many students were sitting at the four tables that lined the hall.

The Professor led the students to the top of the hall where she was placing a stool and a wizard's hat. Lauren wondered what they had to do with the hat. . .

There was silence and then the hat began to sing and it recited a long poem that described the attributes of all the houses and who had run them in the first place. After the hat was done, the hall burst into applause and it bowed and became quiet again.

So, all she had to do was simply put the hat on her head and it would sort her into her house.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," said Professor McGonagall holding a long roll of parchment. She glanced down at the list of first years and then called, "Abbot, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, witch fell right down other her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause –

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat so all could hear. The table on the right cheered and Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. The ghost of Fat Friar waved merrily at her.

"Bellafiore, Lauren!"

That was her. Why did her surname name have to start with B? Lauren stepped out of line and tripped on the hem of her robes a bit and then stumbled up to the stool. She pulled her hair behind her ears and then picked the hat up and placed it down over her eyes then sat.

"Hmmm," said a small voice in her ear, "Difficult, very difficult. You have plenty of courage but you are always honest and true to your word. Loyal to your friends, I see. There is much knowledge in here, it's all in your head, you see. So, where shall I put you. . ."

Lauren sat, trembling waiting for the hat to sort her.

"Hmmm," said the voice again, "Well then, better be – HUFFLEPUFF!"

Lauren smiled and whipped the hat of her head and dropped it back onto the stool. She hurried off towards the cheering Hufflepuff table and sat down next to a smiling Hannah.

"Another Hufflepuff, eh? You'll love this house, you will!" said the Fat Friar cheering.

- - - - -

**A/N:** I know, I know, it's pretty boring but it'll get better, I promise! I just have to work my way slowly into the plot. . . OK? Please review! Thanks!


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